"Hello, Leon?" I said, holding the phone a little tighter than I meant to.
It rang only once before I answered.
Leon was the one who called me.
That alone made the moment feel heavier than it should have. He hadn't called for quite a while now, and this was probably the first time he reached out after my father was officially proclaimed dead. Not a letter, not a formal message through attendants or knights—just a call. Direct and personal.
"Is everything alright over there?" he asked.
His voice sounded the same. Calm. Steady. That familiar tone that always felt like it was trying to ground me, even when everything around me was spinning out of control.
It was oddly comforting, hearing him again after such a long silence. Almost enough to make me forget, just for a second, how quiet the castle had become since my father's death.
"Yeah," I replied, letting out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. "Everything's been going well so far."
